Frequently Asked Questions
All the answers to common questions about the 3DEXPERIENCE platform and SOLIDWORKS Cloud Services
FAQs
Common Questions
A SOLIDWORKS subscription helps you to get the most out of your software and your designers, the benefits include:
- Updates & Service Packs
- Technical Support
- SOLIDWORKS Cloud Services
- SOLIDWORKS Visualize
- SOLIDWORKS CAM
- SOLIDWORKS Certification Vouchers
- Access to online reseller video content
- Masterclass Webcasts
- Customer Development Events
- What's New Events
The SOLIDWORKS Cloud Services are a new set of cloud-based tools that integrate directly into SOLIDWORKS and facilitiate easy and secure data storage and sharing.
The main functionality can be grouped into three areas:
- Design sharing and markup
- Secure Storage and revisioning
- Design Management and control
Share and Markup
Need to share your designs with colleagues, contractors or clients? Now you can do so from directly within SOLIDWORKS.
Whoever you're working with can then view the files from any browser, no download or installation required.
Better yet they can add markup and comments directly to the shared file, making it easy to keep track of collaboration history.
Store and Revise
Access secure cloud based storage from within the SOLIDWORKS interface with the new tools available as part of SOLIDWORKS Cloud Services.
This isn't just Dropbox or Google Drive either, the 3DEXPERIENCE platform is CAD intelligent so it can understand how files relate and provides tools so that you can easily share, version, revision and review your files.
Collaborating with other designers is also streamlined with the ability to lock files your working on, revert to previous versions and provide feedback attached to files.
Manage and Control
If your requirements grow more complex then it is easy to scale up with the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
At any point you can upgrade to gain access to advanced process, project and file management, allowing for better control over your data and workflows.
Plan projects, assign tasks, control engineering change, resolve issues and eliminate data silos by managing your CAD data on the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform.
To put it simply, there is no version of the SOLIDWORKS CAD that you know that operates entirely on the cloud.
However there are a number of useful cloud-related offerings with similar names.
These include SOLIDWORKS Cloud, SOLIDWORKS with Cloud Services and 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS.
Let's clear up the differences between them:
SOLIDWORKS Cloud
This package does not include an installation of SOLIDWORKS. Instead, the functions of SOLIDWORKS are broken up into 9 browser-based roles:
3DSwymer, 3D Creator, 3D Sculptor, 3D Render, 3D Sheet Metal Creator, 3D Structure Creator, Collaborative Industry Innovator, Drafter, and Manufacturing Definition Creator.
These roles can be purchased individually or you can mix-and-match them to suit your needs.
SOLIDWORKS Desktop with Cloud Services
This package contains SOLIDWORKS as you know and love it, with the additional connection to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform through the SOLIDWORKS Cloud Services.
Alongside a conventional installation of Standard, Professional, or Premium SOLIDWORKS, this package includes 6 other roles:
3DSwymer, Collaborative Industry Innovator, Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS, Project Planner, and Product Release Engineer.
Click on each role to find out how they can help enhance your productivity.
3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS
3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS comes in Standard, Professional, and Premium packages and ensures you are always working on the latest release of SOLIDWORKS.
This option also includes a local installation of SOLIDWORKS, but your data is saved to and managed on the Cloud.
3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS provides extra opportunities to expand into the 3DEXPERIENCE platform through the 3D Creator role in addition to the roles included with the SOLIDWORKS Cloud Services.
Overall, using 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS will be very similar to using desktop SOLIDWORKS with Cloud Services, it's a great choice for companies looking to simplify license management and consolidate their tools in one place, providing a more consistent user experience.
Learn more about what's included with 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS
3DEXPERIENCE Works
This is the umbrella term for the wider portfolio of 3DEXPERIENCE roles and applications suited to SOLIDWORKS users.
The packages above form part of the design applications of the 3DEXPERIENCE Works portfolio, and these can be connected to applications for Simulation, Marketing, Product Lifecycle Management, Digital Manufacturing, and Supply Chain Management solutions.
Roles can be purchased individually as your business’ requirements evolve, and our consultants are ready to help you find the combination to suit your needs.
Yes! Visit our getting started page to learn how to use the SOLIDWORKS Cloud Services and the fundamentals of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
Our video walkthrough guides will show you how to activate the 3DEXPERIENCE platform and get started using the SOLIDWORKS Cloud Services and other basic features of the platform.
FAQs
July 2023 SOLIDWORKS License & Subscription Changes
Dassault Systèmes released new functionality for SOLIDWORKS users known as SOLIDWORKS Cloud Services.
These services empower engineering and design teams to solve modern challenges and minimize mundane tasks by providing tools to improve collaboration, cloud data management and design sharing.
As of July 2023, all new purchases of SOLIDWORKS CAD include the SOLIDWORKS Cloud Services as part of their subscription while existing licenses have the option to upgrade for a nominal fee.
There are currently no planned changes for SOLIDWORKS subscriptions.
As it stands, all desktop SOLIDWORKS licenses purchased after July 2023 now include the SOLIDWORKS Cloud Services as standard.
Any SOLIDWORKS subscriptions purchased prior to this date that are up for renewal have the option to upgrade their license to include the SOLIDWORKS Cloud Services for a nominal fee.
As of July 2023, perpetual SOLIDWORKS desktop CAD licenses must also be purchased with two years of subscription. After the initial two-year period, licenses can be renewed on an annual basis.
If you choose not to renew then you will retain access to SOLIDWORKS, but you will lose all subscription benefits including SOLIDWORKS Cloud Services, technical support, version and service pack updates and SOLIDWORKS Visualize.
Yes, there are options available for existing customers that would like to upgrade their licenses to include the SOLIDWORKS Cloud Services.
Please contact us for more information.
Perpetual Licenses
Yes, if you have an existing subscription for a perpetual license of SOLIDWORKS CAD then you can renew without including the additional functionality of the SOLIDWORKS Cloud Services.
Term Licensing
As of July 2023, any SOLIDWORKS Desktop CAD term licenses that are renewed will include the SOLIDWORKS Cloud Services and there is an associated increase in cost to reflect this additional functionality.
Yes, the changes to licensing and subscription applied to SOLIDWORKS network licenses in the same as way as they did to standalone licenses.
FAQs
All About the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform
To summarize, the 3DEXPERIENCE platform is a business wide tool that provides access to Dassault Systèmes huge range of engineering software solutions enabling teams to design, test, manufacture and market their products.
Every program on the platform connects seamlessly and uses the same files, which helps companies improve collaboration between departments, simplifies data management and provides easy access to key information.
But what does this mean for a business using SOLIDWORKS?
The main areas that SOLIDWORKS users can immediately take advantage of are the CAD intelligent cloud data storage and the straightforward design sharing tools. These capabilities are included as part of the SOLIDWORKS Cloud Services.
The SOLIDWORKS Cloud Services provide a connection from SOLIDWORKS to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform and access to a small subsection of tools on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
The platform's capabilities are vast, but they are also completely modular, we recommend that you start by taking advantage of the cloud data storage and collaboration tools and expanding into other areas as and when you need.
Learn more about the SOLIDWORKS Cloud Services here.
There are many potential reasons but one that we can recommend to most users is that with the platform you get secure cloud-based data management.
This data management is CAD intelligent and it has many advantages, you don't need to purchase and maintain servers, you avoid any cyber security issues and you can access your data anywhere and on any device.
To help you make the most out of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, and the new SOLIDWORKS Cloud Services included in your subscription, we are preparing a self start guide for you to follow.
The guide will be comprised of short tutorial videos that have been grouped into digestible sections, it has been designed to allow you to learn about the different aspects of the platform at your own pace.
This guide will become available later in May on this site, so make sure to bookmark this page.
If you can't wait to get started and want the most efficient set up possible then we also offer a paid Quick Start service. During this service one of our engineers will run through the initial setup with you and make sure that everything is configured optimally for your company's requirements.
https://video.trimech.com/who-can-use-the-3dx-platform<br />
There are tools for every department within a business on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform but for most customers we expect it will be the design and engineering teams that get the most out of using the platform.
Please explore this site for more information about 3DEXPERIENCE or contact us with your questions.
We regularly run online demos though the schedules for these vary between the U.S.A., Canada, the U.K. and Ireland. To find out more or organise a demonstration at a time that is convenient for you then we recommend that you contact us.
During the demo we will cover common use-case scenarios and be available for you to ask questions that apply to your specific project or company needs.
To access different tools on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform you need to purchase roles. There are many different roles available so the cost of purchasing 3DEXPERIENCE will vary depending on your requirements.
We're here to advise you and can help to tailor a package that perfectly suits your company's needs.
For many users the new SOLIDWORKS Cloud Services will be included in the price of their subscriptions, this grants access to three 3DEXPERIENCE roles and provides a perfect entry point for SOLIDWORKS users.
Yes, with the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, your data is stored on servers managed by Dassault Systèmes.
There are no costs such as buying and managing a physical server, backup software, network switches, and so on. The only hardware you need is a PC to run SOLIDWORKS.
There are a number of similarly named offers available surrounding SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE, and while there is overlap between them they are not the same thing.
To clear things up here is a brief explanation of the main offerings including SOLIDWORKS Cloud, SOLIDWORKS Desktop with SOLIDWORKS Cloud Services, 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE Works.
SOLIDWORKS Cloud
SOLIDWORKS Cloud is a bundle of cloud-based modeling apps that allows users to access and use best in class CAD functionality and files from any device with an internet connection.
These apps provide many of the same design capabilities as SOLIDWORKS Desktop but without the need to install the software on a PC. These apps will feel very familiar to SOLIDWORKS users but they have been developed from the ground up and are not the exact same as SOLIDWORKS Desktop.
The apps in the SOLIDWORKS Cloud offer make an ideal solution for users who need to access CAD tools on multiple devices or locations and those who do not want to maintain the software locally. These apps all run on the cloud based 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
Learn more about SOLIDWORKS Cloud.
SOLIDWORKS Desktop (with SOLIDWORKS Cloud Services)
SOLIDWORKS Desktop is a standard installation of SOLIDWORKS software on a local device. It provides users with the full range of capabilities and features of SOLIDWORKS but requires the software to be installed and maintained locally.
SOLIDWORKS Cloud Services is a collection of tools that will be included with new SOLIDWORKS Subscriptions and term licenses.
They connect desktop SOLIDWORKS to the cloud based 3DEXPERIENCE platform and enable SOLIDWORKS users to easily share and markup designs, access CAD intelligent online storage and manage their design data effectively. In a nutshell, they provide a secure online hub for storage and collaboration.
SOLIDWORKS Cloud Services is best suited for traditional SOLIDWORKS users that want to take advantage of better design sharing and cloud data storage.
3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS
3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS is a cloud-focused version of SOLIDWORKS that has a virtually identical set of capabilities as SOLIDWORKS Desktop but has a built in connection to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS launches from and saves files to the 3DEXPERIENCE but it still runs locally, this means that you still need a machine with the power to run SOLIDWORKS.
3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS software provides access to the same tools contained within SOLIDWORKS Cloud Services and can be bundled other cloud applications for flexible sub-divisional modelling and simulation.
Overall using 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS will be very similar to using desktop SOLIDWORKS with Cloud Services, it's a great choice for companies looking to simplify license management and consolidate their tools in one place, providing a more consistent user experience.
Learn more about 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS
3DEXPERIENCE Works
3DEXPERIENCE Works refers to a wider portfolio of applications on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform that are the most beneficial for typical teams that use SOLIDWORKS.
3DEXPERIENCE Works includes 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS alongside a number of cloud-based tools for simulation, manufacturing, data management and marketing.
All of these applications are seamlessly connected and make use of the same SOLIDWORKS CAD data, which enables the key stakeholders of every project to work smoothly together.
FAQs
Should I use the 3DEXPERIENCE platform?
https://video.trimech.com/im-only-a-small-business-can-i-use<br />
Absolutely. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform is modular and scalable, this is what allows it to be a tool that is useful for companies with one or two SOLIDWORKS users all the way up to companies the size of Jaguar Land Rover or Boeing.
For a small business we'd suggest starting by using the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to store, manage and share your SOLIDWORKS designs.
The 3DEXPERIENCE platform provides a secure cloud-based CAD intelligent hub to store your SOLIDWORKS data.
This helps you to save on infrastructure costs, minimize risk and provides access tools designed to improve teamwork and coordination between team members.
The advanced data management and collaboration capabilities on the platform enable users to easily share design data, collaborate in real time, control document access, manage revisions, control workflows and more.
How much of this functionality you decide to use it up to you, the 3DEXPERIENCE platform is designed so that you can start simple and scale up as and when you need to.
https://video.trimech.com/im-currently-using-solidworks-pdm<br />
If you are currently using SOLIDWORKS PDM to manage your data then it is likely that the best decision is for you to continue using PDM to do so.
However you may still find value in the share and markup capabilities as well as some of the advanced features of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform such as simulation and sub-divisional modelling.
https://video.trimech.com/how-does-the-3dexperience-platform-1<br />
The 3DEXPERIENCE platform provides a common environment for all departments in a business to collaborate and store data.
For example the same data created by a design team could be used by an analysis team and then later used for procurement. This is all done without need to duplicate or translate data.
https://video.trimech.com/how-does-the-3dexperience-platform-2<br />
Working with the 3DEXPERIENCE platform makes it simple to share files and control access so that clients only see the files that you need them to.
Using the platform also helps improve collaboration as it makes it easy to share mark-ups, work towards common project timelines, collaborate on design reviews and more.
FAQs
Using the 3DEXPERIENCE platform
To help you make the most out of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, and the new SOLIDWORKS Cloud Services included in your subscription, we are preparing a self start guide for you to follow.
The guide will be comprised of short tutorial videos that have been grouped into digestible sections, it has been designed to allow you to learn about the different aspects of the platform at your own pace.
This guide will become available later in May on this site, so make sure to bookmark this page.
If you can't wait to get started and want the most efficient set up possible then we also offer a paid Quick Start service. During this service one of our engineers will run through the initial setup with you and make sure that everything is configured optimally for your company's requirements.
Contact us to find out more.
Like many of the other SOLIDWORKS products Dassault Systèmes provides support for the latest version and the previous two years.
Currently that means SOLIDWORKS 2023, 2022 and 2021 are supported for use with the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
Licenses on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform are assigned to named users. This means you cannot share licenses with other users.
However, this does not mean the access to the platform is restricted to a single machine as the user can log into the platform from any device.
Maintenance on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform is straightforward, an administrator will need to control who has access to the platform and every 6-8 weeks a small download will be required to update the connection between SOLIDWORKS and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
You will be prompted when this update is required and the download is typically very short.
Back ups of your data on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform are managed for you by Dassault Systèmes.
Their scale and expertise means that you can rest easy your data will remain secure and available from any device that you choose.
FAQs
What else can the 3DEXPERIENCE platform do?
The 3DEXPERIENCE platform provides comprehensive tools to support product lifecycle management (PLM).
It includes change management, variant management, product configuration management, bill of materials management, document management, lifecycle traceability, and analytics.
All these functionalities assist in improving product management and its performance through its entire lifecycle.
Yes, you can use the 3DEXPERIENCE platform for simulation and analysis.
The 3DEXPERIENCE platform provides a comprehensive set of tools, including Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Multiphysics simulation, Durability and Fatigue Optimization, Model-based systems engineering (MBSE), Non-linear Analysis, Acoustics, and Vibration.
These tools can be used to analyze a wide range of physical phenomena, making it possible to evaluate the performance of designs and identify potential issues before they occur.
The 3DEXPERIENCE platform provides a comprehensive set of roles/apps for NC Machining and Additive Manufacturing / 3D Printing. Tools include toolpath generation, 3D printing preparation, manufacturing execution, additive manufacturing, and generative design. These functionalities can improve efficiency and effectiveness through the manufacturing process.
The 3DEXPERIENCE platform provides a comprehensive set of tools to support IoT and AR/VR.
This includes IoT device management, AR/VR product visualization, AR/VR guided maintenance, IoT and AR/VR analytics, IoT and AR/VR simulation, IoT and AR/VR-based remote assistance, and IoT and AR/VR-based remote monitoring.
These functionalities are designed to improve efficiency and effectiveness through product development and the entire product lifecycle journey.
Please explore this site for more information about 3DEXPERIENCE or contact us with your questions.
We regularly run online demos though the schedules for these vary between the U.S.A., Canada, the U.K. and Ireland. To find out more or organise a demonstration at a time that is convenient for you then we recommend that you contact us.
If you are interested in the more advanced capabilities of the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform and tools that part of Dassault Systèmes other brands such as CATIA, DELMIA, SIMULIA & ENOVIA then you may want to visit our Enterprise Solutions site.
Looking for something else?
Contact us and get your questions answered today.
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